Fun With Lines Tutorial

Create a new document in flash what ever size your image is, im using 640×480 pixles with a white background. Once you have set your background up lets import our image, goto “file > import > import to stage”.

Your image should now be infront of you. At the top of your screen you should see “layer1” rename this layer to “MAIN IMAGE“, if theres one thing ive learned and thats keep orgainised then later down the line you wont get lost 😉

Now click your image once so you get a grey rectangle round it (meaning you’ve selected the image.) press F8, this will open a window called “convert to symbol” here we will convert our image to a “movie clip”. We dont need to change any settings in this window just stick a name in for your image at the top.

Once we’ve press okay “double click” our image, this will take us within the movie clip. You will notice when we double click that our timeline at the top changes.

It should say “scene 1” and then the name we specified as our movie clip, in my case “vwgolf”

Create a new layer above “layer1” label it “lines” then stick a padlock onto layer1 to lock it.

When you have traced over most or all of the object(s) in your image you’ll have something like this. (MAIN IMAGE HIDDEN FROM VIEW)
You can go into as much detail as possilble, for this tutorial il stick with the image above. Create a new layer above the lines layer and label it mask, select the brush tool HOTKEY (B) and the color red and a small to medium size brush.Now with our brush tool draw over abit of the lines, then press F6, draw over abit more of the lines and press F6. Everytime we press F6 we create a new keyframe. (see animation below)

RIGHT-CLICK TO REWIND / RE-PLAY

You will notice at the top of the timeline on the animation above
the keyframes being created thats me pressing F6. Also to turn the background white like mine just hide layer1. Once you have finished doing part of your image right click the “mask” layer and goto “mask”.

Nearly done. Create a new layer above the mask layer label it “lines 2”, click on the lines layer and take the little padlock to unlock it, select the 1st keyframe on the lines layer then press “ctrl + c” to copy it, then click on the 1st keyframe on your lines 2 layer that you just created and press “shift + ctrl + v” to paste in place. Create yet again another layer and label it “mask2”. Your layers should look like this.

Select the brush tool again and brush red over another part of your image that you havent already done remember to press F6 after every little line you make and dont forget to right-click the mask2 layer and click mask. Heres my timeline after the 2nd part of painting in red.

Ignore the purple bit on layer 1, il explain what that is in abit.

This is how your Layer1 looks.

Select the 1st keyframe on layer 1 and drag to about half way throu your animation.

Once you’ve entered the settings above right-click the grey area on layer 1 and goto “create motion tween”

Now highlight all the layers apart from layer 1, select the keyframes about 5 keyframes from the end, right click on the high lighted areas and goto insert frame, doing this will make sure the lines disappear just before the whole image loads up.

Thats it all done, hope you enjoyed the tutorial, sorry its so long. you end result should look like this.

Now select any number past your animation, im going to select the 60th keyframe, press F6.

Click back on the begining of layer 1 which is keyframe 25 in my case. (the point you dragged it to) Select the “selection tool” HOTKEY (V) and click on your main image. In the properties box at the bottom under color select advanced then click the settings button.When you click the settings button another window will open, use these settings below.